Amy Aviation is on a tour of the UK, visiting places well-known for their connection with UK aeronautics!
Today she’s in Fareham in Hampshire.
When we’re in a car, there are rules and signs to keep us safe. Now, whilst there aren’t traffic lights up in the sky, there are rules that pilots must follow and it’s the Air Traffic Controllers job to help.
They track all the aircraft in the sky and manage take offs and landings so everyone gets their turn.
Air traffic controllers use the very latest technology like radar and satellites to track the positions of all the planes flying in the UK airspace. Controllers also talk to pilots on the radio.
It’s a far cry from the earliest days of flight when pilots were pretty much on their own up there, with just flags and lights on the airfields to help them stay out of each other’s way.
As more planes were built and the skies became busier, better systems were needed.
That’s where the National Air Traffic Service comes in, training air controllers and overseeing the 2.4 million flights each year over the UK from its bases at Fareham and Prestwick in Scotland – although you’ll find air traffic controllers at every airport across the UK.
You can watch the animated series of Amy’s Aviation on YouTube or download the audio series on your phone or tablet so you can listen whenever you like – at home or in the car!
MOBILE: Amy's Aviation: Kids Guide to Airplanes & Airports
The podcast that discovers how airplanes fly and what goes on behind-the-scenes at airports